Section 1:
APUSH Summer Assignment
2015 -2016
Go to http://ap.gilderlehrman.org/period/1
a. Select any TWO of the Documents for Period 1. Analyze the two documents
and record the following:
Document title:
Historical context of the document: What was happening in history during
the time period of the document?
Audience: Who is the intended audience? How do you know?
Point of View: look for bias, opinion or agenda of the creator
Purpose: Why was this document created?
b. On the same website, read “America to 1620” and “The Columbian Exchange”
Take notes on both articles. Taking notes means not only reading the articles and
putting it in your own words but also adding commentary, generating questions
from the text, detecting bias, connecting to prior knowledge and your opinion on the
article. Come ready to discuss these articles on the first day of school! (You may
print these articles and use highlighters and make notes in the margins.)
Section 2:
For the film reviews, students are responsible for critically viewing the work,
evaluating historical accuracy, and writing an overall evaluation following the
guidelines provided. Students will be expected to complete 6 total film reviews;
students may choose only 1 film per section. Film Reviews will count for a test
grade, 1 per semester (3 film Critiques per semester).
Only three are due in August!!! You may turn in Semester 2 Films at any time.
Please note some of the films are rated “R.” You must have parental consent prior to
viewing. “R” ratings are primarily for language and/or violence.
First Semester due August 7 2015 (first day of school) One per Era – 3 total
Colonial Era – Foundations of America (1492 – 1820s)
John Adams (2008)—HBO series of John Adams
Last of the Mohicans (1992) – French & Indian War (R)
The Crucible (1996) – Salem witch trials; Puritans (PG13)
The Patriot (2000) – Revolutionary War (R)
Amistad (1997)—Trans Atlantic Slave Trade (R) (includes nudity & racial violence)
Roots – Path of Diversity in America
Jacksonian Democracy - Reconstruction (1824-1877)
Gettysburg (1993) – decisive battle of the Civil War (PG)
Glory (1989) – Civil War; African-American regiment 54th Massachusetts (R)
Gone With the Wind (1939) – Antebellum and Civil War South (PG)
Lincoln (2012) – President Lincoln & the Civil War (R)
Immigration & American Frontier (1800s)
Gangs of New York (2002) – Civil War era cities and immigrants (R)
Far & Away (1992) – Immigration & Western Frontier Land Grab (PG13)
Tombstone (1993)— Law & Order on the Western Frontier (R)
True Grit (2010) – Law & Order on the Western Frontier (PG13)
Wyatt Earp (1994)—Law & Order on the Western Frontier (PG13)
Little Big Man (1970) –Sand Creek Massacre (PG)
Second Semester due January 5, 2015 – One per Era – 3 total
Early Twentieth Century (1900 – 1950)
42 (2013)—Jackie Robinson & Civil Rights (PG 13)
Cinderella Man (2005)—1930s working class (PG13)
Citizen Kane (1941)—Turn of the Century Newspaper Tycoon (PG)
Raging Bull (1980)—Italian-American subculture (R)
Seabiscuit (2003)—Horse Racing & the Depression Era (PG13)
The Untouchables (1987)—Al Capone & the 1920s (R)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)—Civil Rights & the Great Depression (PG)
The Help (2012) – Civil Rights Movement (PG 13)
12 Years a Slave (2013) – Racial violence and nudity (R)
The Butler – (2013)-Race Relations - PG-13
World War II & Vietnam (1941 – 1975)
Band of Brothers (2001) – HBO series World War II, 101st Airborne
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) – Vietnam War (R)
We Were Soldiers – (2002) - Vietnam War violence – (R)
Forest Gump – (1994) – 1960s - PG - 13
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)—WWII Pacific (R)
Patton (1970)—WWII General (PG)
Pearl Harbor (2001) –World War II (R)
Saving Private Ryan (1998) – World War II (R)
Tora, Tora, Tora (1970) – Pearl Harbor (PG)
Red Tails (2012) – Tuskegee Airman (PG 13)
Cold War Era (1945-1991)
Apollo 13 (1995)—1970s Space Race (PG)
Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Cold War arms race (PG)
All the President’s Men – 1980 - Watergate (PG)
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)—McCarthyism & the Red Scare (PG)
J. Edgar Hoover (2010)—FBI director Hoover & the Cold War (R)
Miracle (2004)—1980 Olympic Games (PG)
October Sky (1999) –Post Sputnik; boy meets rocketry (PG)
The Majestic (2001) – McCarthyism; Hollywood blacklisting (PG)
Thirteen Days (2000) – Cuban Missile Crisis (PG13)
Argo (2012) – Iranian Hostage Crisis (R)
APUSH Film Review Format
Student Name
Date Submitted
Class Period
Title of Film (Year Produced)
Genre
Director
Main Actors
Awards (nominations or wins)
1) The background:
Include the context of the time period of the movie and the actual event.
Research the true history of the historical event, person(s), time period, or
institution portrayed in the film.
2) The Film:
Plot: Write a synopsis, or summary, of the film. Make sure that your summary makes
sense to a reader who is not familiar with the movie. You must also include the next
items, but not as different parts (they may be included in your description of the
story)
Place and time: Where does the action take place? When does the action take place?
Is the story chronological (according to the order of time) or flashback?
Background: society, country, kind of people (age, culture social class), historical
time, etc.
Characters: Were the characters in the film based on actual figures or fictional
characters?
3) Comparison & Evaluation
To what extent is the film historically accurate? Identify specific accuracies and
director’s liberties with the film.
Can you see the director’s/writer’s point of view or agenda? Do you see bias?
Discuss.
Do you think the movie has a purpose and/or targeted audience? Discuss
How has the film furthered student knowledge of the history portrayed?
Provide an evaluation of the film. Give your opinion, but it must be more than “I
liked it.”
FYI - Important note of writing: the reader understands you are writing this review;
therefore, do NOT use 1st or 2nd person personal pronouns (I, me, us, we, you). This is
a formal writing assignment—be sure to check your work for GUMS (grammar, usage,
mechanics, and spelling) errors.
Plagiarism is never ok. Do NOT copy another writer’s work.
All reviews are to be hand-written and will be checked for plagiarism. Students will
receive a grade of 0% on work that is plagiarized, parent phone call, referral to
administration.
*All additional resources must be cited.
Section 3:
Memorize the US Presidents (fist and last name) and year they were ELECTED.
Examples:
George Washington - 1789
John Adams - 1796